123 - Lost in Paradise

Posted by anglaisre on November 24, 2016

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A while back I had to call the national
hotline of my internet service provider about a problem I was having with my TV
channels. The young man in Paris who answered me was relatively helpful, but
was unable to solve my problem, which was related to the fact that I was based
in Reunion. As the conversation came to
a close he consolingly told me,
“oh, but at least you’ve got sunshine”, as if that made up for the fact that
for all manner of services we
generally end up paying more for less in Reunion.

As a long-term inhabitant of Reunion, a
recurrent grumble of mine is
the propensity of others to slap the label of ‘exotic paradise’
onto tropical islands. Yes, Reunion has beaches and a generally pleasant
climate, but we’re also subject to tropical diseases, storms … and big hairy insects. Many islands such as
Reunion can be more or less remote, difficult and/or expensive to get from and
to, and this can be reflected in consumer prices, as well as indirectly in the
level of employment. The creation of the ‘tropical paradise’ that tourists want
(palm trees, hotels, electricity, running
water, sandy beaches, and wifi etc.) often comes at a high environmental
price, as our Mauritian neighbours are beginning to realise.

The belief
that tropical islands are paradise is recent – the biblical concept of Eden was very different, and
for centuries tropical destinations such as Reunion were a source of unbearable heat, illness, fear and even
death for the European settlers, as well as the slaves who were forced to work
there until they dropped.

The notion of what is ‘exotic’ is also
worth pondering. Last year, I was
interpreter for some Czech clients. While appreciating their surroundings, they wondered where
people in Reunion went for a holiday. They were very amused when I told them
that for our honeymoon my husband
and I had chosen to go to … the Czech Republic! It was different from our every
day life in Reunion, and thus exotic to us.

Current opinion tends to be that
paradise and exoticism can be purchased as commodities
via a travel brochure. The idea that they may be bought could
prevent people from looking for a different kind of paradise, one that is
closer to home, rather than projecting it on to islands half a world away.

As long as people feel the need to
travel to a tropical island to relax, switch off their smartphones, and spend
more time with loved ones, Reunion’s tourist industry has a great future ahead
of it!